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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · nail · club · racket · mark · rock · root · fall

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — in sport
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. net — for catching
  7. club — for golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — for dancing
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fall — the season
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — the cause
  18. club — a group
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — of a word
  22. net — after costs
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com